Glad to see more new voters coming on board.

Hard to believe, but we're already up to the 1973 Hall of Acclaim election.

Select the ten most deserving artists, based on records released through the end of 1972.

When considering your vote, you may want to check out the top 50 eligible candidates. For a reminder of who’s already been inducted, see the results thread.

For your ballot to be eligible, you must submit a ranked list of your ten most deserving artists.

***IMPORTANT!***
Also, for your top FIVE artists (at least), you must explain why they deserve to be in the HOA. You may recycle your comments from past elections if you wish, but I want us to have a context for WHY we're selecting these artists. Ballots without comments for the top five will NOT be counted!

In addition, you may nominate up to three people for the Backstage Wing. This is optional; your ballot will still be eligible even if you don’t vote for Backstage candidates.

Deadline for ballots is Sunday, November 23, at 6:00 pm US Central time (midnight GMT).

Voting is now open.

What are you all doing with Paul McCartney? I don't want to use the Beatles to put him in because I'm not doing that with any other solo artist, but I file all my Wings records under M.

1. Leadbelly : one of my remaining and favorite pre-rock artists.

2. David Bowie : just released his masterpiece, and already 3 great albums

3. Doc Watson : underrated country-folk-bluegrass giant

4. Stevie Wonder : the beginning of his album period, with 2 records and an international hit

5. The Doors

6. Curtis Mayfield
7. Georges Brassens
8. Bruce Springsteen (something tells me he will move up soon)
9. Jimmy Cliff
10.Django Reinhardt

John, I follow Henrik's usage on this site. Here, all Wings stuff is filed under "McCartney, Paul"--so all votes for either Paul or Wings will go under McCartney (somehow, I doubt this is going to be a big deal, though).

Nicolas, I agree that Doc Watson is underrated. Not sure he makes my ballot, but I've really been enjoying his stuff lately. Especially the "Memories" album.

A few other names to consider: John Prine, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons.

01. DAVID BOWIE: androgynous, glamorous, otherworldly, all these adjectives may come to your mind when you look at him, with his orange-dyed hair, his bright make-up and his bizarre dresses. His theatrical point of view doesn’t include only the shows (last year tour was staged by Lindsay Kemp) but even the albums. The last one, “Ziggy Stardust”, is a concept album about the rise and fall of a rock star from other planet and, no doubt, one of the peaks of rock music from now on.
My favourite album: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972).
My Top 5 Songs: Life on Mars? (1971), Moonage Daydream (1972), Space Oddity (1969), Five Years (1972), Changes (1971).

02. THE TEMPTATIONS: a classic Motown band that, as Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder, is evolving from an “industrial” product to a socially conscious band, updating their sound incorporating pshychedelia and funk to their trademark Motown soul sound. Important credit must go to producers and composers Smokey Robinson, Barrett Strong and mainly Norman Whitfield (responsible of the exciting second half of their career).
My favourite album: Cloud Nine (1969).
My Top 3 Songs: My Girl (1965), Runaway Child, Running Wild (1969), Papa Was a Rolling Stone (1972).

03. CAETANO VELOSO: after leading the Tropicália movement during the 60s, the festive fusion of Brazilian bossa-nova and psychedelia that included also Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes and Gal Costa, now is releasing superb albums as transgressive as “Araça azul” or as filled of saudade (yearning) as “Transa” from his London exile for political reasons.
My favourite album: Transa (1972).
My Top 3 Songs: Tropicalia (196 , Nine Out of Ten (1972), Clarice (196 .

04. TODD RUNDGREN: a genial singer-songwriter, a skilled multi-instrumentalist (he play almost all instruments in his albums) and a talented producer, he has just released a dazzling double album filled with pop songs, soul pills, soft-rock ballads and even hard rockers.
My favourite album: Something/Anything? (1972).
My Top 3 Songs: I Saw the Light (1972), Cold Morning Light (1972), Hello It’s Me (1972).

05. T. REX: the king of glam-rock, Marc Bolan is the creator of a new style visually based in an androgynous look and musically in trashy boogie numbers alternating with cosmic acoustic ballads, and all that encapsulated in three-minute pop songs, in instant classics.
My favourite album: Electric Warrior (1971).
My Top 3 Songs: Get It On (1971), Cosmic Dancer (1971), Metal Guru (1972).

06. KING CRIMSON
07. JONI MITCHELL
08. PINK FLOYD
09. STEVIE WONDER
10. JOAN MANUEL SERRAT


And at the backstage:
01. JOHN HAMMOND.
02. JIMMY MILLER: the first four reasons to induct him that come to my mind are: “Beggars Banquet”, “Let It Bleed”, “Sticky Fingers” and “Exile on Main Street”. Enough, isn’t it? Favourite song: THE ROLLING STONES You Can’t Always Get What You Want (1969).
03. JOE BOYD.

1. GRAM PARSONS – Nobody is hurt more by the categorization rules than GP. Through 1972, Gram has been the leader and driving force behind five excellent albums (1 by the International Submarine Band, 1 by The Byrds, 2 by the Flying Burrito Brothers, and 1 solo). His compositions are classic (Hickory Wind, Sin City, Luxury Liner, She, etc.). He is the father of country rock.

2. JONI MITCHELL – One of the premier songwriters and performers of the 20th century.

3. THE TEMPTATIONS – Papa was a Rolling Stone is just great.

4. LEADBELLY – I’m with Nicolas.

5. CHARLIE PARKER – Most influential be-bop jazz performer.

6. GEORGE JONES

7. JIMMY CLIFF

8. WILLIE NELSON

9. RANDY NEWMAN

10. TOWNES VAN ZANDT

BACKSTAGE: Stephen Foster, John Hammond, Lester Bangs

I forgot about Bowie! I guess he deserves it. He would have been in the middle of my list. Oh well, I take care of that next week, though I doubt my help will be needed.

1. George Jones - I still care! (rune, where you at? paul & i need your help here...)
2. David Bowie - my favorite Bowie albums won't be released for another 4 or 5 years, but there's no denying the greatness of Hunky and Ziggy
3. Black Sabbath - 3 crushingly awesome & influential records in 2 years...War Pigs still seems oracular...anyone else think Ozzy's underrated as a lyricist?
4. Big Star - I just can't hold off on these guys...I know it's only one album, but christ it's good
5. Todd Rundgren - one great singer-songwriter album and the first of many studio wizard/eccentric pop genius albums

6. Lou Reed
7. Randy Newman
8. Woody Guthrie
9. Grateful Dead
10. Townes Van Zandt

this was the first time i really had to leave off a ton of people i really wanted to include:

rod stewart, little feat, gram parsons, curtis mayfield, o'jays, stevie wonder, pink floyd, allman bros., flying burrito bros., dusty springfield...

who said it was going to get easier at this point?!

backstage

1. Hoagy Carmichael
2. Jann Wenner
3. Irving Berlin

Big Star! Dang! I should have put that one on too. Next year for sure.

1. The Zombies: their first album, Begin Here, is like the British Invasion equivalent of Pablo Honey -- it's enjoyable, but it's also derivative as hell. The album that followed though is an absolute delight, and also happens to be the third most-played album in my collection.

2. Pink Floyd: John would have you all believe that their best record has been out for five years already, while I say their best is about, oh... 82 days away. But, they still deserve this place.

3. John Lennon: Plastic Ono + Instant Karma + Jealous Guy = enough.

4. Big Star: I knew about Alex Chilton from the Box Tops ("The Letter", from Bracketology) and also through Jeff Buckley's cover of "Kangaroo", but it never occurred to me to put two-and-two together and check out any of his other stuff. But one day earlier this year, I made the connection and together with some comments here on AM, the result was me discovering a great band.

5. David Ackles: a relatively obscure singer/songwriter from the early '70s. Think: Tom Waits with about 50% less crazy. "Down River" (from his eponymous album) is amazing.

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:g9fixqr5ldje~T2


6. Derek and the Dominos: only one album, but I like it. Granted, I don't think I've ever listened to it from start to finish in one sitting, but that's neither here nor there.

7. Harry Chapin: if any of you are interested in a great hidden treasure from the '70s singer/songwriter scene, check out "Any Old Kind of Day" from Chapin's album Heads & Tales. Don't let the major key fool you -- this song is bleak as hell: "it's time for me to sleep/and to rest these thoughts away/there's going to be another day/when things will go my way..."

8. Stevie Wonder: moving up bigtime after this year.

9. David Bowie: favorite stuff is still a few years away.

10. Bill Evans: symbolic vote.

1. David Bowie - The big reinventor is now in his theatrical phase. His performances are as remarkable as his records, making him one of the greatest popular artists to excel both in the audio & the visual world.
2. Stevie Wonder - With "Talking Book", Little Stevie is no more. Not that there was anything wrong with his early work, not at all. But with this record he proves to be one of the biggest innovators in his genre, and one of the creative forces of his time.
3. Frank Zappa / Mothers of Invention - Another genre-defying chameleon, Zappa is now almost completely revalidated from the fall of the stage last year and is touring with a big band.
4. Charlie Parker - Listen, this here is what Charlie did to the Blues. Listen, that there is what Charlie did to the Blues. This here, bid-dle-dee-dee bid-dle-dee-dee bopsheep have you any cool? bahdada one horn full. Charlie filled the Blues with Curly-cues. That's what Charlie did to the Blues. - William Waring Cuney, as seen on a mural poem in Leiden.
5. The Doors - Jim joined the 27 club. To be honest, I appreciate them more for Ray Manzarek's work on the electric organ than for Morrison's poetry, but it doesn't take a genius to see they will never recover. But hell, I love L.A. Woman. They should be inducted for that album alone.

6. Leadbelly
7. Black Sabbath
8. John Lennon
9. Captain Beefheart
10. Pink Floyd

Backstagers:
1. John Hammond
2. Les Paul
3. Leonard Chess

I finally have a little free time, so I'll participate for the first time! I'm hoping to be able to join in from here on out, but times are busy!

1. The Doors- I know they aren't very appreciated around here, but I am a little surprised that they haven't made it in! The musicianship is tight, Jim Morrison is a legendary frontman, and their influence is pretty undeniable.

2. Can- Monster Movie changed the way that I think about music- not many albums can say that! Tago Mago and Ege Bamyasi are also wonders to behold. However, I'm one of the weird ones who actually prefers Can with Malcolm Mooney at the helm!

3. Nico- Aside from her fun contributions on The Velvet Underground & Nico, she released 3 very good albums in her own right in the wintry Euro-folk of Chelsea Girl, the deranged and maudlin The Marble Index and the desolate freakout of Desertshore.

4. David Bowie- He is definitely my favorite of the artists that I will list, but only Ziggy Stardust cracks my top 5 Bowie albums at this point.

5. Roxy Music- Their whirlwind debut is packed with more ideas than most bands have in their entire careers, especially on that opening side, if you count "Virginia Plain". I actually prefer For Your Pleasure and also love Stranded, so they are due to jump up in a big way next year.

6. Lou Reed- But so is this guy.

7. Stevie Wonder- As well as this guy.